What to do when you get cold feet

[garet]

wb,

 

In my case, the funny part is, that it was not an ignorance on my part. I started seriously researching HT forums while I was few months post-op (3 or 4 months can't remember now). My whole research was literally typing this in google search bar "Toronto hair transplant" and wolaa I was sold with first few links that showcased "great results", and the rest was history. But those waiting and reading months were sick. I was scared shitless of all the stories that I read regarding FUE all while waiting for my HT to deliver goods. All I gotta say thank God I'm not one of the unlucky ones with poor yield. sheeesh!

 

If you don't mind me asking, what was for the cost for 4,000 FUE's two years ago in Toronto? I'm in Vancouver now, but I would travel within Canada and the States. I was considering getting it done in Thailand as well.

[wb280]

feelzgood, honestly u are one lucky bloke!! I am glad FUE works out for u but from your pics, u dun seem to have very bad MPB so maybe thats the reason FUE works very well for u? Do u feel that those with tendency to go into higher NW status might not be suitable for FUE? It seems that there are really 2 schools of thoughts here...

 

For me, a couple docs told me that i might be heading into a higher NW in time to come hence they advise me to undergo FUT, Dr Feller being one of them whom i feel has a very good track record of successful FUE ops. I somehow get this idea from the docs but again, some members have suggested that we can just go for a couple more FUE sessions to tally the same as FUT yield. Not sure which school of thought is right, though i probably will take docs' advice more seriously

[feelzgood]

Garet,

It was $7CAD/graft and I mentioned that in my first thread. Dr. Rahal offers it at $6CAD currently.

 

wb,

I was goner with my hair - trust me. Doc told me I was between NW4 and NW5 but to me it looked like more between NW6 and 7 with few thin weak ass hairs on top. Everywhere I went I wore my baseball hat. I even wore my cap to consultation and took it off only so that good doc could take some pre-op pictures. I'll link some of my pre-op pics on the other thread, although I posted them before. Meds helped greatly in my case, especially the crown area. I started using meds few weeks after my HT and continue still until this day.

 

Regarding "school of thought" I say if you do not wear your hair short and you never will, then go with FUT. That way you will save a lot of money and judging by the forums' verdicts your chances of having a successful HT are greater.

On the other side of the coin, go with FUE if you like the way you look with buzzed hair. The "scars" are minuscule and very hard to see even upon very close inspection. I shaved my head once with no guard and that was the only time that small white dots were noticeable. When I asked my tech about punch size he said 8-9mm. So make sure it's not bigger than that.

[Danielkiwi]

Hi feelzgood

 

I am also interested in doing a FUE procedure but am trying to understand the scarring part..You said that you can see small white dots after shaving..does it give a moth eaten look..i am assuming you have 4000 white dots on the back of your head..i am wondering how it looks to the naked eye

[Megatron]

feelzgood, that is bar none the most impressive FUE transformation I have ever seen. I must say admit though the fact that your result is so above the norm and your surgeon was Armani makes me a little bit skeptical. that said, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

the only thing is that procedure cost you >$30K after taxes. oouch!

[EpilepticSceptic]

Megatron,

 

Like I said in my other post, Armani has some FUE patients with incredible looking results. It really shouldn't suprise you; it's just that there have been so many failures as well.

 

I have stated this before on this forum and others, namely that these 2 FUE surgeons are NOT incompetent quacks who just have some good and bad days. If you look for great results from them you will find them for sure.

 

But if you look for the failures you will find WAY too many! What this tells me is that they have simply operated on a much higher number of patients than these new FUE surgeons. And what that tells me is that the technique itself is just hit and miss, and that is why I couldn't take the risk myself just to avoid the strip scar. I'm very glad I waited it out and watched all the lab rats go under the FUE knife in the last 5 years !! For those with risk taking personalities who like to gamble with their $ and donor area FUE is the ticket. You will either hit the jackpot like "feelzgood" or you will end up depleted and defeated like "chanyouze".

 

I actually wouldn't even scratch Armani off my list IF I was to consider FUE as I don't believe they really lack any skill at performing the procedure. "feelzgood" (and many others) is proof of that !

 

 

feelzgood, that is bar none the most impressive FUE transformation I have ever seen. I must say admit though the fact that your result is so above the norm and your surgeon was Armani makes me a little bit skeptical. that said, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

the only thing is that procedure cost you >$30K after taxes. oouch!

Edited February 26, 2011 by TakingThePlunge

[wb280]

oh, chanyouze... now i remember that poor guy. I could not remember if he was an Armani patient but i think he was. Wondering hows his situation now.

 

To spend 20 odd k to be in that shit...

[EpilepticSceptic]

wb,

 

"chanyouze" is just one of hundreds for whom Dr. A's FUE left him depleted and defeated. The Dr. A debacle was so bad that it almost ended up shutting HLH down; and since that time that forum has become a graveyard with just a few posters left.

 

All of these failures is just proof that the technique itself is hit and miss. When you ask the shills why FUE megasessions don't work for the majority (even with a large staff of trained technicians) they just retort " it just doesn't". That's it! They cannot provide any scientific explanation and they don't even try!

 

Somebody here should ask "chanyouze" if he's happy that he can just throw in the towel now ? For some reason I do not think his retort will be a jovial one! :eek::confused:

 

BTW, folks here who are really worried about not being able to have a short haircut in the rear due to the strip scar should take a good look at the latest Dr. Hasson patient in the "Posted Clinic Results" section. How much shorter would anybody really need their hair than that ? Would clipping off another 2mm really make that much of a difference to the chicks ?

Edited September 4, 2010 by EpilepticSceptic

[CopaSurfer]

Hi EpSc,

 

I'd say that not everyone takes a decision based on what makes a difference to "the chicks" (whoever that may be), but they make it just for themselves. A good approach, kind of emancipatory, in my opinion.

 

Apart from that, I'd like to mention that there are FUE surgeons who don't do megasessions, but a maximum of about 600-800 grafts per day. In one week, they can get you more than 3,000 grafts, if needed. And some of them even do practically every step of the procedure (at least extracting and implanting the grafts) themselves.

 

It's just necessary to do some extensive research and to talk to as many people as possible about their own experiences.

[wb280]

ES, oh wow yes, Chanyouze was a FUE patient under Dr Armani. I followed his threads when i was just starting to research... that poor fella... guess that op seriously ruined his whole life... and i dun think he can just throw in the towel...

[garet]

Lot's of good advice on these last posts.

 

Please tell me if this looks like a reasonable scar in these photos.

 

I don't plan to shave my head, but I use this photo example because it's a rare example of a shaved head with scar 1 year post-op.

 

Also, I have no idea what a haircut with a "3, 4, or 5 guard" means. Someone explain to me what hair length the scar would show through in centimeters or inches.

 

Cheers

[Cant decide]

IMO that scar is about average.

[wb280]

I thought this scar looks slightly wider than i would say satisfactory... However, the hair was buzzed to such a short length, accentuating the scar. If it was covered by some hair, i might say differently, who knows.

In short, seeing this as it is, i would not feel happy with the outcome

[Bill - Seemiller]

Garet,

 

Actually, the scar pictures you are showing in my opinon, are very fine and thin. The reason it's more emphasized is because the scalp is shaved down to a zero clip. Most scars that thin aren't noticeable when the hair is worn even at very short lengths. The only thing that would potentially improve that scar is if hair were growing through the scar like in most trichophytic closure cases. But even trichophytic closure scars aren't perfect and sometimes not as many hairs grow through the scar as we'd like.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Tom60]

Hi Bill,

 

Is that about an average size scar and I know that with regrowing hair, doctors and patients both want the hair to look as natural as possible. That's fine, but what usually happens when hair is grown back through the scars? Can people really tell?

[wb280]

Bill, oh so in reality, scars like this are fine? Like i said, the hair is buzzed to like a zero, exposing the devil for exactly what it is hence i m slightly biased

 

I reckon just growing a few cm ought to keep it firmly covered

[garet]

The reality is, this is an average looking scar, which was confirmed to me by Dr Path's assistant as well as Dr. Pong. It is actually quite thin, but it reveals how awful it would look if you ever trimmed down to less than 2 or 3 cm's.

[Cant decide]

I think you can go far shorter than 2-3 cm and still easily cover up this size scar.

[Tom60]

What is the scar is 3-3.5 cm? How big can the scar get before there is a noticeable difference? Does it depend on the transplant itself? Or body type?

[garet]

What is the scar is 3-3.5 cm? How big can the scar get before there is a noticeable difference? Does it depend on the transplant itself? Or body type?

 

I think you misunderstood. We were talking about the length the hair needs to be to cover the scar, not the thickness or length of the scar itself.

[VickTayback]

Youre asking an intelligent question, because getting a transplant is a major decision that obviously can not really be "taken back".

 

Fortunately for you, unlike back in my day, the risk is quite minimal for most people---more hair = good. Less hair = bad. Twenty years ago, there was

no coalition, and really no patient rights. You were at the mercy of the

doctor and his "ethics". In most cases, 80 percent of the doctors were

unethical greedy parasites.

 

But on to your question:

 

Life is a series of risks in a lot of ways. We come to certain jumping off points when we choose a college, a girlfriend, a wife, a career, a house, etc. We have few guarantees that everything will work out perfectly, but we make decisions anyway to improve our lives.

 

Occasionally, we take bold steps to pursue the life we want. A hair transplant is one such step. For most guys, losing hair is really about the threat of losing options in life---social, marital, personal.

 

Your hesitance is perfectly natural. Each of us has been there, but took a risk to improve our lives. And for most people today, when choosing the right doctor, the investment is incredibly profitable:

 

when you think about it: spending 12 thousand dollars to improve your life quality is pretty cheap.

 

So the final issue is really taking a risk on a "worst case scenario".

 

For me, that question was: "if the HT doesnt work, am i willing to wear a hairpiece"?

 

In the end i decided that i was, since going bald had ALREADY severely negatively impacted my life goals. What more could I really lose?

 

So relax. Be positive. This will be a good decision. Be confident

and decisive.

[coriander]

That scar picture sort of begs the question why you'd go to such extent for an HT just to knock off so much hair. I think for most people if you keep the hair 1/2" or longer it should not be a noticeable factor.

 

As for the OP, you can weigh the pros and cons all you want, but ultimately the decision should come from your gut, and the end result should be for you and no one else.

[wb280]

Vick, i concur with your words

For me, i also felt the same. I imagined the worst case scenario. Am i willing to wear a hair piece should the HT fail? I figured i would since i just cannot live with myself now

 

That sort of boosted my confidence in undergoing the surgery

so far things look ok. wish me luck!

[EpilepticSceptic]

This is one of the best posts I've read in awhile here and so I felt the need to post a follow-up comment. It does not suprise me that this post came from a HT veteran who knows just how bad things were back in the 90s compared to today !!

 

When I think about HT forums today the thing that bothers me the most is the wanton ingnorance of youth and the totally ridiculous expectations that some of these young guys have concerning HTs. They want it all and they don't want to make any compromises in the process; most of them are making foolish decisions that they will likely (IMO) come to regret in the future!!

 

If we could go back in a time machine to the 1980s and tell a guy (who just got open donor punch grafts extracted from his head) that by 2010 there would be microsurgery with no evidence of scarring in the recipient area, and that there would be a fine linear scar covered by even very short hair in the rear --- HE WOULD BE JUMPING OUT OF HIS CHAIR !!! Add to this the fact that he could swallow a pill once per day and never reach an advanced balding state and he would probably look at you like you were crazy !!

 

But we have these spoiled youngins today who don't want any compromises whatsoever! They are too puritanical to take a hormone altering pill, and they also want to retain the option of shaving their head. Most of them haven't lost enough hair yet to really know what it means to be bald/balding either, and this is why I say that MANY of them will be in a deep state of regret in the coming years for their foolish decisions today! So they look into FUE because it SEEMS to be the answer for the type of guy who WANTS IT ALL without any compromises or any risk. They don't even want a linear scar on the ONLY part of their body where it can be easily covered with hair and NO ONE WILL EVER SEE IT !!!!

 

It's truly a joke and I get tired of coming here sometimes and seeing the same old tired, dead, beaten horse taking another wallop to the head when it's already been pounded into ground meat 1,000,000,000,000,000 X !!!!

 

Lately I am of the opinion that these forums can (in many cases) do more harm than good for the prospective HT patient. There is too much fear and too many conflicting opinions from "know-it-alls" who really know nothing.

 

The only regret I have today (besides not RELIGIOUSLY staying on finasteride and getting on it sooner) is that I let HT forums scare me from getting a strip surgery in 2005. I lost 5 good years because I was so worried about a complete non-issue called a linear strip scar, and it was other anonymous forum members who I allowed to scare me out of it. :eek:

 

 

Youre asking an intelligent question, because getting a transplant is a major decision that obviously can not really be "taken back".

 

Fortunately for you, unlike back in my day, the risk is quite minimal for most people---more hair = good. Less hair = bad. Twenty years ago, there was

no coalition, and really no patient rights. You were at the mercy of the

doctor and his "ethics". In most cases, 80 percent of the doctors were

unethical greedy parasites.

 

But on to your question:

 

Life is a series of risks in a lot of ways. We come to certain jumping off points when we choose a college, a girlfriend, a wife, a career, a house, etc. We have few guarantees that everything will work out perfectly, but we make decisions anyway to improve our lives.

 

Occasionally, we take bold steps to pursue the life we want. A hair transplant is one such step. For most guys, losing hair is really about the threat of losing options in life---social, marital, personal.

 

Your hesitance is perfectly natural. Each of us has been there, but took a risk to improve our lives. And for most people today, when choosing the right doctor, the investment is incredibly profitable:

 

when you think about it: spending 12 thousand dollars to improve your life quality is pretty cheap.

 

So the final issue is really taking a risk on a "worst case scenario".

 

For me, that question was: "if the HT doesnt work, am i willing to wear a hairpiece"?

 

In the end i decided that i was, since going bald had ALREADY severely negatively impacted my life goals. What more could I really lose?

 

So relax. Be positive. This will be a good decision. Be confident

and decisive.

Edited September 16, 2010 by EpilepticSceptic

[TakingThePlunge]

Vick,

 

Excellent points and well articulated. I couldn't agree more. After years on the roller coaster it came down to the fact that I wasn't happy with my appearance and wasn't likely to be. I found a top doc and took a step into the unknown and I'm very happy I did. Best decision I've made in a long time.

 

All the best!